To Whom It May Concern
by SangoShadowphoenix
Summary: Drabbles and dialogues. Ch.3: They are witness to or knowledgeable of most of what goes on; they are old and wise. But they, too, have their woes. Disclaimer: Standard; I don't own InuYasha, affiliated characters,etc.
1. Ch 01 Do not Litter

**_A/N:_** Ok, so I have other stories I'd promised to update. But I can't really bring myself to do so, and in the meantime the lack of writing fanfics has begun to fester and burn, so I've started this new project to help keep that burning to a minimum, still satisfy fans, while not setting too many constraints and goals for myself.

This will be a collection of maybe related, maybe not, drabbles. Enjoy.

* * *

_Title:_ Do not Litter  
_Summary:_ Kagome writes to her diary of a possible answer to why Sesshoumaru is always spotless. Rin brings her concern for Jakken-sama's affinity to fall asleep at random to Sesshoumaru-sama's attention.

* * *

Sesshoumaru paused, staring down his nose at the tiny thing in his path. He had never seen anything like it; its looks and some colors were foreign to his knowledge, and even more so was the pungent smell of a bitter, acrid burning. The thing was misshapen, but the demon lord could tell it had more to do with the fact that some other youkai had found the object first - there were a number of teeth marks embedded in it, even a little fang, he found when he squinted a bit at a white spot.

He took a quick, delicate whiff, mindful of the thing's overpowering stench, to determine if it would be harmful to the little girl soon to approach behind him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Is something wrong?" Rin hopped off the two-headed dragon and peered out from behind Sesshoumaru's legs, searching the road ahead. When she didn't see anything, she looked up. Noticing the direction of his stare, she looked back down.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what is that?" she asked, pointing a little finger at the thing in their path.

Sesshoumaru did not reply immediately. He took another little whiff, this time at their surroundings, before he seemed to sigh in distaste.

"Rin," he said.

"Hai! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Take it and mount the dragon. We are going to see my idiot half-brother."

"Hai! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

* * *

Sesshoumaru breeched the tree line and approached his half-brother's group. They were tense, ready to battle, but battling was not on Sesshoumaru's mind this meeting. Well, perhaps a _bit_ of _battering_ on his little half-brother. But that was second to his purpose.

He continued to approach the group, sending InuYasha flying into a tree on the way, since the pup had tried to charge him. He stopped when he was standing a few feet away from the miko. She stood defiantly but confusedly in her spot, protectively in front of the kitsune. The others of the group watched wearily, staying their hands as they did not sense the usual animosity.

Then Sesshoumaru tossed the thing that had been in his path earlier in the day, at the miko, who gasped in surprise and fumbled to catch it.

"Egads! My mp3-player! You found it!" At the miko's exclamation everyone but Sesshoumaru stared at her in surprise. They started (again without Sesshoumaru) with her next exclamation, louder this time: "Egads! What _happened_ to it? Did you _chew_ my player? Mama's going to _kill _me!"

"This Sesshoumaru dislikes litter on his lands." Sesshoumaru's first words had everyone's attention, Kagome's face flushing when she heard the reprimand that reminded her so much of signs she saw in her time. Then Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her, "Do not litter again," and left.

The InuYasha crew stared after him.

* * *

"Jakken-sama?"

"What, you insolent, annoying, broken chatterbox?!"

"Why did Sesshoumaru-sama come all this way to give back Kagome-nee-sama's … _em-pi-huri-purei-a_?"

"Didn't you hear what the great Sesshoumaru-sama said to that idiot hanyou's woman!? Sesshoumaru-sama despises litter! Sesshoumaru-sama loves cleanliness! Since Sesshoumaru-sama was very young, Sesshoumaru-sama has always-" **_thwak_**

"Jakken-sama? Jakken-sama? Sesshoumaru-sama, Jakken-sama has fallen asleep in the middle of a sentence again. Why does Jakken-sama do that?"

"Leave him, Rin. He is tiresome."

"Does Sesshoumaru-sama mean that Jakken-sama is _tired_?"

Sesshoumaru turned back to the trail and walked on.

* * *

Nightfall found Kagome writing tearfully into her diary:  
_Dear Diary,  
Today we had an unexpected gift from an unexpected visit from an unexpectedly civil Sesshoumaru, which resulted in learning two unexpected things. _

_Earlier in the day I'd somehow dropped the player Mama had gotten me, and Sesshoumaru, of all people, came all the way from wherever he was to return it. _

_The first thing I suppose I haven't _learned_; I suppose it's still just a theory: Sesshoumaru seems to have an obsessive-compulsive disorder for cleanliness; why else would he come all this way just to tell me about "littering" and why else is he always so clean, and why else does he always dislike Jakken? Well, but I suppose there is a problem with reasoning in Rin._

_The other thing I learned is that the image of Sesshoumaru using my poor mp3-player (bless it's electronic innards) as a chew-toy is one that is quite lethal to one's mental health, as well as to the comfort of one's jaw, cheeks and stomach. _

_Goodnight, Diary.  
Kagome. _


	2. Ch 02 Ring

**A/N: **Chapter 2, mes amis! I forgot to mention in the previous chapter, but no, InuYasha the series and anything affiliated to it does NOT belong to me.

* * *

_Title:_ Ring  
_Summary:_ The original Japanese movie was called "Ring" because it represented the phone call a person received before the girl got to them; a warning of sorts. The English version was titled "the Ring" to indicate the physical ring of light that the girl saw before she died. Shippou has some experiences that would make him wish the word could somehow be just a bit more in his favor. (But no, it doesn't have anything to do with either movie; the movie titles simply inspired the story.)

* * *

Miroku, blindfolded but grinning ear to ear nonetheless, waved both hands in front of him, one of which was still clutching his staff, the rings of it jingling pleasantly.

From the right, a giggle. He turned to the sound, then turned back to his original direction when the same voice gave a delighted squeal before moving quickly to the left.

"Now, now, ladies. This game is only fun if you _allow_ yourselves to get caught," he chastised, grinning stupidly and giving chase to another giggle.

"Miroku, Sango's coming down the hill! She's _so_ going to kill you!" taunted Shippou, watching from the sidelines. His warning alarmed Miroku, who instead of taking off his blindfold before bolting, quickly spun towards Shippou's voice, his staff ringing wildly. Shippou gave a wail and moved to get out of the way.

"Houshi-sama! Stop right there!"

Sango's angry voice made Miroku jump in surprise, loosing his footing, still blindfolded, and he desperately tried to keep his feet under himself.

"_**IAAH!**_ Miroku! You _stepped_ on my _**tail!**_"

* * *

"I'm going to _dieeee,_" Shippou cried tearfully. He sniffed, tears still gathering in his eyes, and glared across at Miroku hatefully from where he was sprawled tummy-down in Kagome's lap. Kagome made a soothing noise and continued to lightly run her fingers through the kit's hair. Doing so with the tail was obviously out of the question.

"Now, Shippou-chan, I truly apologize for what I have done. But we shouldn't bear grudges in this group, now should we? It will ruin all the lovely atmosphere," the monk placated, his hands held up in a peaceful gesture. The movement made his staff jingle, resting on his shoulder as it was.

Sango snorted, and when Miroku turned oh-so innocently in her direction with a questioning look on his face, Sango stared oh-so pointedly at the big blue bump on the monk's head. "Yes," she agreed, "it will ruin the lovely atmosphere Houshi-sama and Hiraikotsu had going just a few minutes ago. We cannot have such a depressing thing come to pass, now can we?"

Miroku wilted a little, and Shippou was still convinced he was going to die.

* * *

A few days and a full recovery later, Shippou got tired of chasing a pretty blue butterfly, and decided to nap a bit in the meadow he found himself in. It was close to the well, so if Kagome-chan came back, he'd be the second to know. The first, of course, would be InuYasha, who like usual had stationed himself in the God Tree to overlook the well.

He drifted to sleep within the long grasses, dreaming about the candy that Kagome-chan would be rewarding him this trip.

* * *

'Ah, I am glad I had taken this little detour on the way to see InuYasha,' Miroku thought, his steps sturdy and his staff gently thumping the ground in a peaceful rhythm. The monk especially liked taking walks by himself around the village on sunny days, with the birds chirping; the natural music calmed him and the sparkling ringing tones of his staff lulled him into pleasant thoughts.

_Thump-jingle. Thump-jingle. Thump-jin__**"GYYYAAH!**_My _**tail!"**_

* * *

"I'm going to _dieeee,_" Shippou cried tearfully. He sniffed, tears still gathering in his eyes, and glared across at Miroku hatefully from where he was sprawled tummy-down in Kagome's lap. Kagome made a soothing noise and continued to lightly run her fingers through the kit's hair. Doing so with the tail was obviously out of the question.

Miroku smiled apologetically from his seat in the hut across from them. "I must say, Shippou-chan, I'm quite surprised I managed to injure you once more."

Sango scowled at the monk, making to reach for her boomerang, so Miroku hastily made another apology that sounded, at least in words, much more sincere.

InuYasha glared disapprovingly down at the kit. "Really, runt, ain't you got any sense? Don't you know why monks that go 'round got rings on their damn staffs?"

"InuYasha!" Kagome admonished, "don't be mean!"

InuYasha flicked his glare to her, annoyed, before settling with the kit once more when the kit tearfully half-growled and half-wailed a "no, you big dolt! 'an I don't _care_!"

"Be_cause_, you stupid runt, the ringing scares the little critters away, so that the monks don't step on any life forms; so whaddaya think stepp'n on ya _twice_ means? Oh, wait, you prolly can't think that logically; people should start call'n ya '_crit_' 'stead'a '_kit_,' ya stupid runt!"

InuYasha got sat, and Shippou was still convinced he was going to die.

* * *

Nightfall found Shippou curled on Kagome's pillow, staring tearfully up at the stars, a hard feat while lying on one's stomach.

'Dear Momma and Papa,' he thought, missing his birth parents keenly now that he especially thought of them. 'InuYasha is a big bully. But Miroku is an even bigger bully - if the staff is supposed to ring to warn people to get out of the way, how come he doesn't ring it louder so that sleeping youkai can hear it in time to get away? He did it on purpose! I know he did. I know I have _excellent_ hearing.'


	3. Ch 03 Dialogues

**A/N: **Well, I wasn't able to keep to the same pattern for the conclusion, but I really liked it anyhow.

*******

_Title:_ Dialogues

_Summary:_ They are witness to or knowledgeable of most of what goes on; they are old and wise. But they, too, have their woes.

*******

The Old One creaked in disappointment. "What, again?" he questioned incredulously, watching the pair arguing before him.

The Older One's response was equally without wind: "Aye, these youngsters before us seem to like torturing our poor souls with their bickering as much as possible." He wilted a bit, adding "It makes me nervous when ever they do; I fear a miko will stick an arrow in me once more."

The Old One glanced dryly at his friend. "Aye, Goshinboku, t'was a dreadful experience, that one. And I was only witness to it; I cannot ever truly sympathize."

"I suppose," mused the Older One to the Old One, "that ye have thy hardships, too. It must be terrible having to always transport the miko-girl and whatever she brings with her, Bone-Eater's Well."

"Aye, much more so when she insists in bringing that metal contraption; it tumbles and bumps around most uncomfortably."

They shared a sigh and continued to watch the miko and hanyou below and before them.

*** *** ***

"I do say," Goshinboku began, drooping heavily from the rainwater, "that I shall be quite put out if this pouring continues for longer." He shook out his limbs a little, spraying the ground around him with more water.

The Well slouched miserably; "Agreed, old friend. Any more and I shall become a soggy sponge; me old pores cannot take much more." He squinted at an upcoming red-clad figure. "We shall have company soon," he observed depressingly.

The Older One gave up shaking his limbs, resigned to his wet fate. "As if I had not enough weight on my shoulders already. That grouch of a hanyou is going to tear my new bark; he always does, with those claws of his. And ye knows my skin gets delicate when wet."

As he said this, InuYasha had leapt quickly into the middle boughs of the Goshinboku, leaving behind little scratches from his footholds.

The Older One sighed again. "Young ones. Never respect their elders."

The Well could only creak in sad agreement.

*** *** ***

Nightfall found the Well horrified, but unable to move, staring incredulously at the couple before him. "Surely," he cried at his friend, "surely they do not plan to go through with their plan?!"

Goshinboku looked on from his vantage point. "I'm quite sorry to say I believe they shall," he remarked.

"Blasphemy! Have they no respect for my old bones?"

"Nay, I say they respect ye enough to choose you for their activity."

"I refuse to have their names carved into my side! I am not a grave-marker!"

"Well," Goshinboku returned crossly, "I do apologize for housing four and two hundred pairs of names in _my_ sides. And I don't recall anyone _pinning_ their love to ye, quite literally, for half a century. My perfect complexion has been forever ruined, and ye complain so much about merely a pair of names. At least thy first pair are respectable, being demon-slayer and spiritual man as they are."


End file.
